EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of ThinkInsideTheSquare, we're diving into an exciting topic that's been buzzing around the Squarespace community lately - creating your very first online course!

When Squarespace introduced their course feature, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for so many of us. Suddenly, we had this amazing platform to share our expertise with people all around the globe. It's like they handed us a megaphone and said, "Hey, you've got valuable knowledge - why not share it with the world?"

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. "Me? Create a course? But I'm not an expert!" Well, let me tell you something - you know more than you think you do. We all have unique experiences and skills that others can learn from. Maybe you're a whiz at social media marketing, or you've mastered the art of sourdough bread making. Whatever your passion or expertise, there's someone out there eager to learn from you.

Creating an online course might seem like a daunting task at first. Trust me, I've been there! It's like standing at the base of a mountain, looking up and wondering, "How on earth am I going to climb that?" But here's the thing - just like climbing a mountain, creating a course is all about taking one step at a time. And that's exactly what we're going to explore in this article, a summary of episode 56: how to turn your expertise into education.

I’ll walk through the process of turning your expertise into a well-structured, engaging online course using Squarespace. We'll talk about organizing your knowledge, crafting your course outline, creating engaging content, and bringing it all together on the Squarespace platform.

So, whether you're a seasoned pro looking to share your skills or someone who's just starting to explore the idea of teaching online, let’s gets started!

1. Organizing Your Expertise

Alright, let's start by getting all that amazing knowledge out of your head and onto paper (or screen). You know how sometimes your brain feels like a tangled ball of yarn? We're going to unravel that ball and lay everything out nice and neat.

First things first, let's identify your core knowledge areas. Think about it this way - if someone asked you, "What are the main things you cover in your work?", what would you say? For example, if you're a nutrition expert, you might say something like meal planning, understanding macronutrients, and healthy cooking techniques. Take a few minutes to jot down 3-5 core areas of your expertise. Don't worry about getting it perfect - we can always refine it later.

Now, here's where it gets fun. We're going to break each of these core areas into smaller, more manageable chunks. It's like we're creating a family tree for your knowledge! Let's stick with our nutrition expert example. If one of their core areas is "understanding macronutrients", they might break that down into: what macronutrients are, the role of proteins, the importance of carbohydrates, understanding fats, and how to balance macronutrients in your diet.

Go ahead and do this for each of your core areas. Break them down into 3-5 subtopics. This process is going to help make your complex knowledge more digestible for your future students. Plus, it's going to make the next steps of course creation so much easier for you.

Now, I want you to do something that might feel a little artsy-craftsy, but trust me, it's super helpful. We're going to create what I call a knowledge map. Grab a big piece of paper, or open up a digital drawing tool if that's more your style. Write your main topic in the center of the page. Then, draw branches out to your core knowledge areas. From each of those, draw more branches out to your subtopics.

What you'll end up with is a visual representation of your expertise. It's like seeing your knowledge from a bird's eye view. This map is going to be incredibly useful as we move forward. It'll help you see connections between different areas of your expertise and make sure you're covering all the important bases in your course.

2. From Knowledge to Course Structure

Alright, now that we've got all your knowledge organized, it's time for the exciting part - turning it into a course structure. This is where your course really starts to take shape!

First things first, we need to define what your students will achieve by the end of your course. I like to call these your course objectives. Think about it this way - if you bumped into one of your students a month after they finished your course, what would you hope they'd tell you? Maybe they'd say something like, "I can now create a balanced meal plan for the week," or "I understand how to read nutrition labels." These are the kinds of things we want to define.

Take a few minutes to write down 3-5 clear, actionable objectives for your course. These are going to be your guiding stars as you create your content. Plus, they'll help potential students understand the value of your course right off the bat.

Now, let's think about the journey you want to take your students on. What do they need to know first? What builds on that knowledge? This is where that knowledge map we created earlier comes in handy. Look at your core areas and subtopics and start arranging them in a logical sequence.

Generally, you'll want to start with foundational concepts and move towards more advanced topics. But don't stress if you need to shuffle things around a few times. Finding the right flow is a process, and it's okay if it takes a few tries to get it just right.

Okay, now we're going to start giving your course some real structure. In Squarespace, you can organize your course content into sections (which we'll call modules) and pages (which we'll call lessons). Think of it like chapters in a book, with each chapter containing several sections.

Here's a basic structure you might follow: Start with a course introduction where you'll welcome your students and give them an overview of what they'll learn. Then, create a module for each of your core areas. Within each module, create a lesson for each of your subtopics. Finally, wrap it all up with a course conclusion where you'll recap what they've learned and give them some next steps.

This structure gives your course a clear, organized feel that will be easy for your students to navigate in Squarespace. Plus, it'll make the content creation process much more manageable for you. Instead of facing one big, intimidating course, you'll be tackling it piece by piece.

3. Overcoming Course Creator's Block

Now, I know what you might be thinking. "Becca, this all sounds great, but what if I get stuck? What if I sit down to create my content and my mind goes blank?" Don't worry, my friend. Even the most experienced course creators hit roadblocks sometimes. It's totally normal, and I've got some tricks up my sleeve to help you overcome them.

First, let's talk about some common roadblocks you might face. One big one is perfectionism. You know that voice in your head that says, "This isn't good enough"? Yeah, we're going to tell that voice to take a hike. Remember, done is better than perfect. Your first course doesn't have to be a masterpiece - you can always improve and update it later. The most important thing is to get started.

Another roadblock you might hit is imposter syndrome. That's when you start thinking, "Who am I to teach this? What if people realize I don't know everything?" Here's a secret: nobody knows everything. You know more than you think you do! Remember those achievements we listed earlier? Whenever you start doubting yourself, go back and look at that list. You've got valuable knowledge to share, and there are people out there who need to learn from you.

Sometimes, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content you need to create. When that happens, take a deep breath and remember: you don't have to do it all at once. Focus on creating one lesson or module at a time. It's like eating an elephant (not that I recommend doing that!) - you do it one bite at a time.

Now, let's talk about some techniques for generating course content ideas. One of my favorites is what I call a "question brainstorm." Grab a piece of paper and write down every question you can think of related to your topic. Don't censor yourself - write down everything, even if it seems silly. Each of these questions could potentially be a lesson in your course.

Another great technique is what I call "day-in-the-life." Walk yourself through a typical day in your field. What tasks do you do? What knowledge do you apply? These can all be potential course topics. You might be surprised at how much you know without even realizing it!

One more technique I love is "problem-solution mapping." List out common problems in your field, then map out solutions for each one. Each problem-solution pair could be a lesson in your course. Plus, this approach ensures that your course is providing real, practical value to your students.

Now, let's talk about mind mapping. This is a fantastic way to generate and organize ideas. Here's how you do it: Start by writing your main course topic in the center of a page. Then, branch out with subtopics or ideas related to the main topic. For each branch, add more specific details or ideas. As you're doing this, look for connections between different branches - these connections can help you structure your course in a logical, flowing way.

The key with mind mapping is not to judge your ideas as you're putting them down. Just let them flow. You can always refine and organize later. The goal is to get everything out of your head and onto paper (or screen).

4. Crafting Your Course Outline

Alright, now that we've generated all these great ideas, let's craft them into a solid course outline. This is where your course really starts to take shape!

Let's start with the course structure we created earlier - you know, the modules and lessons. Now, for each lesson, I want you to write a brief description of what you'll cover. It doesn't have to be long - just a sentence or two to capture the main idea.

Next, for each lesson, list out 3-5 key points you want to make. These are the core ideas you want your students to take away from that lesson. This step is really helpful for keeping your content focused and making sure you're covering everything you need to.

Now, here's where it gets fun. Start thinking about any activities, quizzes, or resources you want to include in each lesson. Maybe you want to add a worksheet for students to apply what they've learned, or a quick quiz to check their understanding. Jot down these ideas next to each lesson.

One more thing - try to estimate how long each lesson will take. Aim for about 10-20 minutes per lesson. This helps keep your content digestible and prevents overwhelm for your students.

As you're doing this, you might notice that some lessons seem too long or too short. That's okay! This is your chance to adjust. Maybe you need to break a long lesson into two, or combine two short ones. The goal is to create a balanced, manageable learning experience for your students.

Now, let's talk about balancing depth and breadth in your course content. It's tempting to try to cover everything you know about your topic, but that can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, focus on what's absolutely essential for your students to know. Think about your course level too - if it's a beginner course, you might cover more topics but in less depth. An advanced course might dive deeper into fewer topics.

Also, consider your time constraints - both how much time you have to create the course, and how much time your students will have to complete it. It's better to thoroughly cover the most important topics than to rush through everything.

To create a cohesive learning experience, try to use consistent language and terminology throughout your course. Refer back to previous lessons to reinforce connections, and preview upcoming content to show how everything fits together. It's also helpful to include regular recap or summary sections. This helps your students see how all the pieces fit into the bigger picture.

5. Leveraging Your Existing Content

Now, here's some good news - if you've been blogging on Squarespace, you've already got a head start on your course content! Let's talk about how to use that existing content in your course.

First, make a list of all your blog posts related to your course topic. For each post, jot down the main topic it covers, any key points or insights, and how it might fit into your course structure. This is like taking inventory of the content you already have.

Now, let's talk about how to turn a blog post into a full lesson. Start by identifying the main topic and subtopics in the post. Then, think about how you can expand on each subtopic. Can you add more detail? Include some examples or case studies? This is your chance to dive deeper than you would in a blog post.

Next, think about how you can make the content more interactive. Could you add some learning activities or reflection questions? Maybe create a summary of key points? You could even develop a quiz or assignment to check understanding. The goal is to transform your blog post from a passive reading experience into an active learning experience.

After you've mapped your blog content to your course outline, you'll probably notice some gaps. Maybe there are areas where you lack content, or topics that need more in-depth coverage. Don't worry - this is normal! Make note of these gaps. This is where you'll need to create new content to round out your course.

7. Bringing It All Together in Squarespace

Alright, we're in the home stretch! Let's talk about how to use Squarespace to bring your course to life.

Squarespace makes it really easy to structure your course with a type of collection page known as - you probably guessed it - a course! This course is made up of lesson pages, organized into chapters; think of chapters like folders. Students have access to a progress bar that updates when they check lessons off as “completed” and there is a sidebar and pagination on lessons for easy navigaiton.

Here is a pro tip from my own experience: a course is never enough! I like to create member areas and add a course inside that member area. That let’s me add additional resources in the form of new pages, portfolios of proejcts and more.

To check out my free course on courses, visit insidethesquare.co/course

8. Next Steps and Action Plan

Wow, we've covered a lot! You should be really proud of yourself for making it this far. You've now got a solid plan for creating your Squarespace course. But I know all this information can feel a bit overwhelming, so let's break it down into an action plan.

Here's what I want you to do next:

1. Create your knowledge map. Get all that expertise out of your head and onto paper.

2. Define your course objectives. What do you want your students to be able to do by the end of your course?

3. Outline your course structure. Decide on your lessons and group them into chapters.

4. Audit your existing content. What blog posts or other materials can you repurpose for your course?

5. Start creating your course content in Squarespace. Remember, one lesson at a time!

6. Set up your course layout. Make it clean, easy to navigate, and visually appealing.

7. Test your course flow and make adjustments as needed. You might want to ask a friend to go through it and give you feedback.

Remember, creating a course is a journey. Take it one step at a time, and don't be afraid to adjust as you go along. You're going to learn so much in this process, and your course will keep getting better and better.

Conclusion

You've got this, my friend! You now have a strong head start on creating an amazing course on Squarespace. Remember, your knowledge is valuable, and there are people out there who can't wait to learn from you.

If you're feeling excited about diving deeper into course creation (and I hope you are!), I'd love to invite you to check out some awesome freebies from the queen of course creation, Amy Porterfield:

• Freebie #1: Can You Replace Your Income With A Digital Course?

• Freebie #2: Unlock your digital course idea using AI

• Freebie #3: 10 Ways People Earn Money With Courses